Remembering Random Twins: Jason Maxwell on Coaching, Mentorship, and Paying It Forward

[William Malone]

Jason Maxwell spent two of his three big league seasons with the Minnesota Twins, playing infield for Tom Kelly in 2000 and 2001. He is currently the athletic director and head baseball coach at The Ensworth School in Nashville, Tennessee. Maxwell also coaches various 18U and 15U national teams for USA Baseball. This has given him the opportunity to work with some of baseball's brightest young stars.

Image courtesy of USA Baseball

Twins Daily recently caught up with Jason Maxwell for a look back on his time with the Twins, and his thriving coaching career.

The MLB Draft is only 20 rounds, but it wasn't always that way. Maxwell was a 74th round pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1993. Going from a draft round that no longer exists to the big leagues is no easy task.

"It came from a place of one, believing in myself. And two, going out and actually performing and having others take notice of my abilities. But three is having people, front office and managerial positions, believe in me and believe in my abilities to help a team. I'm definitely fortunate. Never take it for granted. That was something, I had to work by butt off every single day. Because being drafted in the 74th round, there aren't many expectations. So I had to create expectations."

Getting at-bats in the lower levels of the minors when competing against higher draft picks with bigger signing bonuses wasn't easy.

"I will tell you, and this is the truest of true stories. Literally my first year, I get drafted and assigned to Huntington, West Virginia [Huntington Cubs of the Appalachian League]. The manager tells me 'I don't know what we're going to do with you.' Basically telling me I wasn't gonna play. So I'm like 'oh gosh I just forgave my senior year of college eligibility' and now I'm stuck. I don't know, I just wanted to play pro ball. I went the first two weeks, and maybe had a couple of at-bats here and there. And then in the first game I started, it was in Danville [against the Danville Braves of the Appalachian League], I struck out three times. And luckily, the minor league coordinator and all the minor league brass were in town. After the game, they told me 'you know, you've got a pretty good swing but we don't think you can see.' So they brought me down to do some vision tests. From that day on, I became the starting shortstop. And midway through the year, that short season, I became a prospect. I don't know how it happens. I actually performed, but I became a prospect from that point on. It was wild to think that somebody from the 74th round was a legit Cubs prospect pretty immediately."

Maxwell debuted for the Cubs on September 1, 1998. This was in the thick of the famous Sammy Sosa/Mark McGwire home run chase. Chicago was also in a tight playoff race, and even had to play a game 163 tiebreaker for the NL wild card spot later that month.

"It was incredible. You watch that Sosa/McGwire 30-for-30. That is something that I lived. That came out during COVID time. I remember sitting with my two sons at home and telling them everything that was happening. So, you know, it's really neat that I lived that. It was one heck of a ride for sure. To be a part of history. One thing people don't remember, that was the year Kerry Wood broke in as well. So you had that whole ride going. It was amazing. Those guys, going through spring training with them. I already had relationships with a lot of the established guys, so they took me under their wing once I got to Chicago. It was a really, really great time for me."

Maxwell spent all of 1999 in Triple-A, and then signed with the Twins in 2000.

"At the time, I was just looking for an opportunity to get back to the big leagues. I knew one guy with the Twins, and that was Torii [Hunter]. We became friends in the minor leagues. I remember going to the locker room that first day, and Torii and I didn't talk during the off-season. But I knew him. He looks at me and goes 'Max! You're in the right place.' That was just the vote of confidence I needed. And then to be able to play for TK [Tom Kelly] being as versatile as I was. TK loves people with versatility. And as I said, having people who believe in you is important. That man there taught me to believe in others who may not. And I give him so much credit for all my success."

Tom Kelly played a big role in helping develop a young Twins core that took over the AL Central under Ron Gardenhire in the early-2000's.

"Oh my gosh, he did so much. People don't realize, I remember being in Chicago and playing a game against the White Sox. After the game, we practiced. Coming in early in Minnesota after road trips, we're on the field at two o'clock getting work in before a seven o'clock game. And Gardy [Ron Gardenhire] was there the whole way too. Those guys taught you so much. One thing they taught you was to bring the culture. You see the success of those teams; 2002, 2003 and '04. The culture was established in 2000 with TK. He trusted guys. Didn't have a big payroll, but he knew what he was doing."

The 2000 Twins took their lumps, finishing dead last in the AL Central at 66-93. They ran it back in 2001 with a nearly identical roster, but the results were much better. Minnesota went 85-77, which was their first winning season since 1992.

"There was this confidence. Right? You bring the same guys into the locker room, so you're all familiar with each other. The confidence just grows. You've got time under your belt in the big leagues. There's another year coming, putting things together. You're starting to feel a sense of belonging, and you know the league a bit more. It was good. And again, you've got the right leader in TK. Along with Gardy, and Jerry White, and Scotty [Scott Ullger]. There were so many guys. The coaching staff was amazing. It was just like a family there. So many of those guys, we're all still close."

The white ceiling of the Metrodome gave many defenders trouble, and Maxwell was no exception.

"If you ever talk to somebody who says they didn't have a problem with that, they're not telling the truth. Say we're on a 12 day road trip, we'd come back in and practice fly balls. TK used to say 'ball in the roof, ball in the roof.' So we would work on that. But whenever I played shortstop and a pop-up went up, there was one spot. I don't know, maybe five or six steps out in short left field. I would always lose it for what felt like ten seconds. It was really a split second. It was just a blind spot for me. I always lost the ball in that one spot. I'd pick it back up, but I always lost it for a split second. When you hit a pop-up, you have to run it out. The visiting teams didn't have the ability to work there. So it was definitely an advantage."

Maxwell always tried to take the time to sign for kids who wanted an autograph, and still does today.

"There was a player when I was younger, I'm not going to name him. Growing up in Tennessee, I went to a lot of Braves games. They were playing a team, and a really popular player walked by. I remember asking him for an autograph. He threw his glove down and said 'I'm not signing autographs today.' And I always said from that day on that if I ever made it in any sport, I would always take the time to sign autographs for fans. I never wanted a kid to feel like that. And I wasn’t Torii Hunter, but I never wanted a kid to go home and say I was rude to him. As players, you can't sign them all. But you sign as many as you can. And I'm still like that today. I still get a lot of stuff sent to [The Ensworth School]. Our secretary will know when it's from a fan. She has sharpies, and I sign them. She'll put it right back in the mail, and we send 'em off."

He always knew he wanted to work with kids after his playing career was over.

"I didn't know it was going to be in the capacity that it is today, but I knew I wanted to work with kids as far as coaching went. The Ensworth School literally opened up right as my playing career ended. I was the first head coach here, and I'm still the head coach. On top of being the athletic director now. It's been a true blessing. So many experiences, so many influences in my life. For me to give back the things that were given to me. Guys like Tom Kelly and guys like Gardy. From Paul Molitor and all the coaches that I grew up with. Not just in professional ball, but in high school. The kids deserve that, and that's what I aspire to do every single day."

Coaching for USA Baseball has given Maxwell the opportunity to work with some of the game's brightest young stars, and even do a little unofficial scouting for the Twins.

"My first year working with USA Baseball was 2014. Just going in and working as a trials coach. Helping run the trials for the 15-year old team. You connect with so many of these kids, but there was this one kid that I really connected with. When he made the team, he was so appreciative. He couldn't believe he made it. When it was time for him to get drafted about two or three years later, I got a phone call from somebody and they say 'Max, who do we take?' They knew I worked with them. 'What do you think? Who should we take?'  I said 'I'll tell you what. If you take one kid, he'll get you to the World Series. If you take the other kid, he'll win you the World Series.' That kid was the number one pick. It was LaTroy Hawkins calling me to ask about Royce Lewis. I said 'it's got to be Royce.'"

Maxwell continued to sing the praises of Royce Lewis, who was drafted first overall by the Twins in 2017.

"Royce and I really connected. We've exchanged a few messages over the last few years. I just love following his success. His dad is an amazing man too. That kid, everything he's got. I spent a few weeks with him and just thought the world of him. Anthony Volpe is another one of my favorite kids. Dylan Crews too. I mean, that USA pipeline goes on and on."

The Twins brotherhood is strong in the USA Baseball coaching ranks.

"I've brought [Michael] Cuddyer into coach with me. Denny Hocking has been with me coaching. We keep the Twins thing going. Nick Punto has been here too. That brotherhood is forever."

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[theBOMisthebomb]

Thank you for the update. I actually didn't remember Maxwell, this was still interesting, though. 

[William Malone]

3 hours ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

Thank you for the update. I actually didn't remember Maxwell, this was still interesting, though. 

He was awesome to speak with! Brought up Royce all on his own too. I was going to ask later on, knowing he had coached Royce, but he brought up Royce first. Was so excited to talk about him and all his success.